CMOS image sensors having pixel arrays with uniform light sensitivity
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsJung Nam, Yun Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Solid state CMOS active pixel sensor devices having unit pixels that are structured to provide improved uniformity of pixel-to-pixel sensitivity across a pixel array without the need for an additional light shielding layer. For example, unit pixels with symmetrical layout patterns are formed whereby one or more lower-level BEOL metallization layers are designed operate as light shielding layers which are symmetrically patterned and arranged to balance the amount of incident light reaching the photosensitive regions.
Claims37
An image sensing device, comprising:
- a pixel array comprising a plurality of unit pixels formed in a semiconductor substrate, wherein each unit pixel comprises a plurality of readout elements and at least one light receiving element;
- and
- a first wiring layer formed over the pixel array comprising a first pattern of wiring lines, wherein the first pattern of wiring lines comprises electrical interconnections between readout elements in the unit pixels,
- wherein the first wiring layer is an optical blocking layer to block incident light in each unit pixel to maintain substantially the same sensitivity for each light receiving element of the pixel array.
An image sensing device, comprising:
- a pixel array comprising a plurality of unit pixels formed in a semiconductor substrate, wherein each unit pixel comprises a plurality of readout elements and a light receiving element;
- and
- a first optical blocking layer formed over the pixel array to maintain substantially the same sensitivity for each light receiving element of the pixel array, wherein the first optical blocking layer comprises a wiring pattern to connect readout elements, and a dummy pattern.
An image sensing device, comprising:
- a pixel array comprising a plurality of unit pixels formed in a semiconductor substrate, wherein each unit pixel has a same layout pattern, wherein said layout pattern comprises a light receiving element region, a plurality of readout element regions, and an isolation region surrounding the light receiving element and readout element regions,
- a first metallization layer formed over the pixel array, wherein the first metallization layer comprises metal lines that form interconnections between readout element regions in the pixel array;
- wherein the first metallization layer comprises a first unit pattern that is repeated in each unit pixel in the pixel array, wherein the first unit pattern is an optical blocking layer in each unit pixel which is disposed over the same areas of the isolation region surrounding the light receiving element region of each unit pixel.
The image sensing device of clam 24, wherein the first unit pattern includes a dummy metal line.
The image sensing device of clam 28, wherein the second unit pattern comprises a dummy metal line.
37-62. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.